Caster socket



March 2, 1937. M R. SCOTT ET AL CASTER SOCKET Filed Nov. 10, 1934 INVENTORS M. R 660 TT AND W. F HERO/.0.

ATTORNEY.

M BY

will!!! Patented Mar. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES CASTER SOCKET Marshall B. Scott, Ripon, Wis., and Walter F. Herold, Bridgeport, Conn., assignors to The Bassick Company, Bridgeport,

ration of Connecticut Conn., a corpo- Application November 10, 1934, Serial No. 752,411

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to a caster socket, particularly for use with the split tubular legs of metal furniture, washing machines, and the like, an object being to provide a socket of simple, and inexpensive construction, which may be easily installed, and will cooperate with the leg in a manner to support the weight of the furniture upon the caster without distortion or displacement of the socket and without distortion of the split tubular leg. A further object is to provide a socket which will support the tubular leg against both inward and outward distortion, and to this end we propose to provide a socket portion disposed inwardly of the leg and interlocked therewith and a ferrule portion disposed outwardly of the leg and interlocking with the socket portion to support it in fixed relation with the leg.

With the above and other objects in view an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing and this embodiment will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the socket, according to the exemplary illustrated embodiment of our invention, attached to a tubular leg and with the caster inserted.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken along the line 22 of Fig. l, and with the caster removed.

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the socket inserted in the tubular leg, the latter being shown in horizontal section.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the inner caster pintle receiving or socket part of the device.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 6 is a plan view.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the outer ferrule part of the device.

Fig. 8 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary enlarged detail view showing the lower end of the socket and leg at one side.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, the caster socket according to the exemplary illustrated embdiment of the invention, comprises an inner caster pintle receiving or socket part, formed from sheet metal, having an upper centrally disposed socket portion I 0 formed by folding a strip of sheet metal upon itself and shaping it in a suitable die-press, vertically disposed double thickness side ears H-ll being formed through this folding and shaping operation along each side of the socket portion. Side legs |2-I2 are bent outwardly and downwardly from the socket portion and are rounded in plan outline to fit concentrically within the tubular split leg I 3, the diameter of the leg portion being such that they may be easily inserted within the leg preferably with a slight press fit. The lower ends of the legs are each provided with an outwardly bent lateral flange I4 adapted to engage beneath the end of the leg to prevent upward movement of the socket in the leg, and which flanges are interlocked in their relation with the leg by means of the retaining ferrule part of the socket, presently to be more fully described.

The ferrule part of the socket is of relatively deep cup shape and comprises a cylindrical wall I having a series of scallops It at its upper edge which are bent or swedged outwardly to a slight extent, to facilitate engagement on the end of the leg with a press fit, the ferrule part being preferably driven upon the leg by hammer blows to insure its tight fit. The split leg will be slightly compressed by this drive fit of the ferrule member so that a secure frictional fit is insured even with variations in the diameters of the leg and ferrule member. The base I1 is provided with a central pintle receiving bearing aperture 18, and between this aperture and the side wall is provided with an upwardly pressed annular rib Hi, the outer surface of which is inclined and adapted to fit snugly with a wedge fit within the legs |2l2 to form a supporting abutment against inward displacement, the 1flanges I l-l4 being thus interlocked with the The caster shown is of the pintle 20, horn 2|, and wheel 22, the pintle being retained in the socket by a split spring ring 23 disposed in a groove 24 in the pintle. The pintle has top bearing in the upper end of the socket portion It), and side thrust is taken in the bearing aperture l8. It will thus be seen that the weight of the furniture upon the caster is supported by the socket member from the flanges I 4-! engaged beneath the leg, and any tendency of this weight to distort either the leg or the socket is effectually prevented by the interlocked relation of the flanges I 4-!4 beneath the leg end. The rigid support of the side legs l2-l2 of the inner pintle receiving member prevents any possibility of its inward collapse, and at the same time supports the leg against inward collapse, while the usual type having a outer ferrule member forms a confining band about the split tubular leg to prevent its outward distortion.

We have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of the invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be made therein, within'the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims. 7 i

Having thus described our invention what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-.-

1. A caster mounting socket for tubular legs, comprising a socket member adapted to be in-' serted within the leg and having outwardlybent lateral flange means at its lower end adapted toextend beneath the lower end of the legto limit upward movement, the lateral dimension of said flange means being no greater than the wall thickness of said leg, and a retaining member, nonpermanently attached to said socket memberand separable therefrom in a vertical direction, comprising a circumferentially continuous side wall adapted to engage the outer surface of said leg with a force fit and a base disposed beneath said flangemeans to retain said socket member within said leg against. downward movement, and an upwardly extending abutment formed in said base having a side wall inwardly spaced from said first mentioned side wall adapted to engage the innersurface of the lower end of said socket member with a force fit through upward movement of said retaining member relative to said socket member to prevent inward lateral displacement of said lower end of said socket member witlr respect to said leg.

2. A caster mounting socket for tubular legs,- comprising a socket member adapted to be inserted within the leg and having a top bearing portion, a pair'of side legsextending downwardly one leg at each side of said topbearingportion, and outwardly bent lateral flanges at the lower ends of said side legs adapted to extend beneath the lower end of the leg to limit upward movement, the lateral dimension of said flanges being no greater than thewall thickness of said leg, and a retaining member, non-permanently attached to said socket member and separable therefrom in a vertical direction, comprising a circumferentially continuous side wall adapted to engage the outer surface of said leg with a force fit and a base disposed beneath said flanges to retain saidsocket member within said leg against downward .movement, and an upwardly extending abutment formed in said base having a side wall inwardly spaced from .said first mentioned side wall adapted to engage the inner surface of said socket member with a force fit through, upward movement of said retaining, member relativeto said socket member to prevent inward lateral displacement of said side legs with respect to said leg.

M. R. sc'o'r'r, WALTER F. HEROLD. 

